James Brown, known around the world as the Godfather of Soul, was born James Joseph Brown Jr in 1933 in rural South Carolina and raised in Augusta, Georgia. His childhood was marked by deep poverty, but church music, gospel and rhythm and blues gave him a powerful escape and shaped his explosive style. As a teenager he spent time in a correctional institution, where his talent for singing and dancing began to stand out during prison concerts. After his release he joined a vocal group that became